At "Pride" Cafe

Hola! I'm going to try to update my blog really frequently because I dont really have a permanent place of residence and need to let people know I'm doing well.
SO!
Right now I'm at Pride Cafe in San Telmo, helping Sara with her Spanish homework. I just had a really good sandwich with celery (which I just discovered is "apio"), cheese, walnuts, chicken, and green apples. It was fantastic.
I just took some pictures outside. It's the BEST weather!!! Dark sky but bright..... seriously. My favorite. I went out and took some pictures, and I'd like to take some more so I'll try to make this quick.

Yesterday I woke up, packed up my stuff, brought my huuuge suitcase to Kiosco's house to leave there (so I don't have to think about it for a while). I picked up laundry, said goodbye to Steffi (who's back in the states now) - sad face - went to do a photo shoot of becca in plaza italia/ that botanic gardens place with a ridiiiiculous amount of cats, then later brought my stuff over to Veronica's house (where I'm staying now). From there, I took a bus to La Boca, and had dinner at El Obrero, a little Argentine restaurant in the middle of an awful neighborhood. It was a good thing that I made the executive decision to not bring with my camera because I definitely was in the ghetto (I'm sure momma is real happy reading this). Anyways, I had dinner with Silvia, Chiara, and Ilya (who I already knew, Italian friends working here), a Colombian, Jorge, an Australian, I think Emily?, and a girl from Denver named Heather. We were quite the eclectic bunch. After, we went to a bar in San Telmo which was nice. We're in that weather right now that it's hot and humid during the day but the nights are just INCREDIBLE.

I got back home at around 4 in the morning to Veronica's, where I'm sleeping on a mattress on the floor. When I got into bed, her little pup Lara hopped on and curled herself into my arms. It was kind of the cutest thing everrrrrr.

Veronica is this really nice chick that I actually met through couchsurfing.org. I made an account, searched people in buenos aires with a sofa, found her, and sent her a message. Immediately, she replied, "SI!!! VENI A MI SOFA!!!" (Yea! Come to my sofa!) We met about a week ago and I just cannot believe how nice she is! We even met up the other night and went to some boliche (club) in una provincia (like 45 minutes out of the city?) with her and her friends. Seriously, I have been so fortunate with the people I've met in this country. Well, I've met some kind of icky boys, but also a lot of nice people. I met this guy a couple weeks ago and we went out for coffee and emailed yadda yadda and then a couple days ago he sent me a message, "Te molesta que tengo una novia? =)" (Does it bother you that I have a girlfriend?) Um yes. Yes it does. Whaaatever. I've still been meeting a lot of nice people. A few weeks ago I met this really nice dude named Kasper from Brasil and I hung out with him and some of his friends from Colombia the other day who are just super nice. I'm excited to meet locals here this summer, but at the same time I feel a little anxious from the lack of structure or go to people. So many of my good friends are leaving! It's weird.

So much of my experience here has felt like the twilight zone. So much- hoooold on a second..... I'm in Argentina??? I'm speaking Spanish????? These next few months I'm going to be just bumming around a lot, maybe finding a job if I'm lucky. Hopefully this time to think will give me an opportunity to make sense or reflect on this first semester, on how I've changed, and about what I want, in general. I feel like I've grown so much but I've also been feeling really off lately. Like...... confused as to what I should do with myself. Whatever. My tango professor just gave me "El Beso de La Mujer Arana" - the kiss of the spider woman - in spanish to read so maybe I'll do that.

It's 7:00 now. Veronica has an incredible courtyard/backyard so maybe I'll go there and write or read. At this time of day there's not much I can do as far as getting errands done. Tomorrow I'll try to figure some registration things out and check out a possible apartment in Villa Crespo. Also, I'm gonna try to print out more resumes.

Hope everyone is doing well! If you're a friend and reading this and feel willing to, write me a long e-mail about what's going on in YOUR life! I love letters :-)
isneezelikeamouse@gmail.com
Besos y abrazos a todos, Meli

PS: Here's a few photos for your blogging pleasure....

me and Sara NOT studying

... and here's me and Jon, representing our soul patch (AKA "french tickler") love